Variety (August 1950)

MISCELLANY P'kniETY Wednesday, August % 195Q Changing Fashions on Borscht Belt By BOB CHANDLER Thirteen years is a long time, and eyen the tradition-stained Borscht Circuit, where cottage cheese and sour cream is a daily must, where a singer’s repertoire has to include “Eli, Eli'* and “My Yiddishe Mamma,” and where, if the Working Girl fails to get her man, she can, like the Dodgers, wait till next year—even the Borscht Belt must undergo some changes. . So Arthur Kober. who is revis- ing his 1937 saga of the Berkshire?, “Having Wonderful Time," into a musical comedy for spring presen- tation, decided to tour his old hap- py hunting grounds to see what changes these 13 years have wrought. The new musical, inci- dentally, will be produced by Max Gordon and scored by Harold J. Home. on timer s Days in Rome s Final Basic ingredient of his 19371 comedy, later turned into a film, is ' still there, Kober says. That's the good old love story. “The girl still comes up looking for romance. She’s got two uninhibited weeks away from the discipline of home. Rome, Aug. 1. Vet Austrian director G W. Pabst has announced he will make his next film in Italy. It will be “Ten Days To Die/* from a, book by Michael Musmano, a Pennsyl- vania Judge. Musmano, who was one of those presiding at the Nuremburg Trials, saw a Pabst film, “Process,” and went to Vienna to ask him to direct his story. ‘ Picture will be made in Rome film studios although all scenes depicted are in Germany. It will I be done entirely in English. Pabst 1 said that he will use actors but not big names since he believes the dramatic values of the story should carry the film rather than the performance of a screen fa- vorite. , Judge Musmano’s book is about the last 10 days of the life of . , , j , • * .11 r » • lUOb uajo . ui uic . lug ujl And the hotel manager still has h.is j Adolph Hitler, based upon the rec- V\Ani/>. w 1 Am f mn m if 4- rt rvr am AtWYn > w r basic problem, trying to get enough men into the place to take care of all the women — especially what are known as ‘the dogs.' “One hotel has tried to do some- thing about it,” Kober says. “The Berkshire Country Club has a spe- cial men’s camp at low rates to get the men up there* But even then ords and documents the author had access to when he was in Eu- rope. Author, Naval Commander and a judge who is a nominee for Lieutenant Governor in Pennsyl- vania, he will be unable to come for the shooting of the pic. Leo Lenya, known for his screen . .adaptation of “Beggar’s 1 picture he intends to make in the near future. they flock to the pretty girls and j Opera/* ‘film made in Berlin be leave the ugly ones to themselves.” j fore the war, is making the screen Kober offers evidence that the j adaptation of “Ten Days.” It romantic aspect of Borscht Belt life !■ should be ready in the next four or is still the same. “Larry Stuart, j five weeks. Upon completion, emcee at Camp Copake, met his 1 Pabst will fly to the U. S. to get wife at one of the camps; Lou his production deal set. Schorr; Berkshire Country Club | Recently, Pabst’s name has emcee, and his missus, who now . been connected with “Odyssey,” a is a member of the staff at Berk- shire, owe their marriage to their meeting at this camp; and Mickey Michaels, owner of Camp Milford, managed to elude his more roman- tic female guests at Milford, only to be caught in Florida four years ago when he was running a hotel there.” But Kober’s story will have to undergo many other changes. “In the old days the waiters did every- thing. They waited on table, they drove the bus, they entertained in the social hall, and they took care of the girls when there weren’t enough men to go round. Today they're just waiters, and most places don’t even make them stay up at night to dance with the girls. Emcee Plus Acts “The social staff has been re- placed by an emcee and acts booked in for the weekend. In my day there used to be a social director and a couple of assistants, and the waiters. They’d provide all the entertainment. Today there in an actual circuit whereby a booker will make dates for a three-night weekend on which acts will hit three hotels in the same area. Acts are booked in by the hotel man- agement, and the show is run after a fashion by the emcee. “Even the emcee has changed. . The social director used to be on top of the guests most of the time, popping from table to table in the dining i*oom and from group to group on the outside, , Today there are few emcees who are ac- tive all the time, but most of them save their efforts for the eve- (Continued on page 55) WILL MAHONEY THE INIMITABLE Continuing tour of North American Continent Starting tomorrow night Aug, 10 Belleyue Casino, Montreal, Canada Represented by ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORP. itery, TV in Between Film Star Interviews Pittsburgh, Aug. 8. Hush of film stars into the key cities to ballyhoo their pictures is starting to boomerang, here at least, in the matter of publicity. Dailies are getting a little fed up doing interviews with the star- studded visitors who merely offer the same old stuff on which to peg a story. In a couple of cases, it is known that city eds have told publicity men handling the personalities that they are tired of the convene tional routine and that something extraordinary’s got to be on tap to rate space, especially since there has been tightening up on account of Korean war. In the space of a month, town will have had Gloria Swanson (“Sunset Boulevard”), Burt Lan- caster (“Flame and Arrow”), Ruth Roman (“Three Secrets”), Joan Evans (“Our Very Own”) and Ruth Hussey (“Louisa”) in addition to Rosebud Yellow Robe, Indian gal making the circuit to drumbeat “Broken Arrow.** In a couple of cases, the net publicity return in the newspapers here was confined to a couple of column mentions. Radio is °still a strong outlet for the visitors, however. They can get as many interview spots with the local air fraternity as they can handle, but the dailies are becom- ing another story. Order Form Enclosed find check for $ Please send VARIETY for years 8/9 To Street .. • • .. • • • • •«• • • • • • £ • • • • • • •»•■#■••• • • • • (Please Print Name) Zone. . • • State. . •»•. •. Regular Subscription Rates One Year -$10.00 Two Years—-$18.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional per Year P'R&IETY Inc. 154 West 44th S4, New York 19. N. Y. Hildegarde kicks off her concert tour of 65 one-nighters Oct. 21 in Kohler, Minn., perhaps the nearest to her home town of Milwaukee which Anna Sosenko, her personal rep, purposely eliminated. Cop- picus & Schang have the chan- toosey booked in two segments, first portion ending Dec. .3 and the second half of the concert tour running from March 25 to April 30. Most bookings are at $2,000 and $2,500 against 60%. Songstress, recently . returned from London and Paris dates, is currently on a strawhat tour, this week in Beverly, Mass., followed by Falmouth and Olney where she is repeating her one-woman shows of last summer, in lieu of the usual summer theatre policy of old and new plays. She is slated for a re- turn at the Hotel Savoy, London, and there is a deal cooking for her to take over a previously unused downstairs room in the Hotel George V, Paris, and bill it the Chez Hildegarde. The European dates, of course, hinge on world affairs and next year’s tourism abroad. The chirper fills in at her old nitery standby with four weeks at the Hotel Chase, St. Louis, com- mencing mid-September. The mid- winter period is also kept open for choice of a video show, which is cooking, and/or Miami dates. KOREA NO K.O. TO PARIS FASHION SHOWMANSHIP By LUCETTE CARON Paris, Aug. 3. War rumors are not affecting the Paris couture premieres. Elaborate displays, sumptuous fab- rics, an enthusiastic public and French optimism give confidence to American buyers. Few cancelled their trip and the 1951 American woman will definitely have a flavor of Place Vendome and rue de la Paix. Without really modifying the silhouette, Paris couturiers have a way of changing details so that a 1951 dress looks entirely different from its predecessors. The curtain opened on Christian Dior, Dior does not try to be any- thing else but Dior: year after year he sticks to his own style. His 1951 woman is curved and feminine with ! sloping shoulders widened by large cape collars and she carries huge muffs There is much more full- ness than last season, usually start- ing just above the knees; skirts are creeping down, hair is grow- ing. One of the sensations of the collection is the Dior “chignon”: a coil of hair im the shape of ah inverted cone placed at different angles on the head, making women look like a unicorn. One almost gets used to it by the end of the collection: it seeerhs to complete and give a lift to the silhouette. His long evening gloves also made a hit: they are buttoned at the back of the neck like a stole. Jacques F^th came next. He gave The usuAl spectacular night per- formance in his illuminated gar- den, In white tuxedo, he bowed and kissed the hands of diplomacy, I (Continued on page 55) Only ‘Everyman’ Looms as Sure Hit War Scare Puts Brake On Reckless Spending By MARGARET GARDNER Cannes, Aug. 1. Several galas at the Monte Carlo Summer Sporting Club this season have been successful from the sar- torial, social and financial angles despite the war scare that has put a brake on a lot of reckless spend- ing. Business at one recent festival established a record of sorts as Compared with last year. Some 375 covers, were served, representing an increase of 25% over the same 1949 period: This record-breaking gala also marked the debut of eight Scan- dinavian showgirls who were brought to Monte Carlo for the season. They proved a minor sensa- tion and were well worth a looksee by some talent scout. Conservatism brought on by the war scare is evident in the play at the gaming tables. The famous table of nine, usually the center of everyone’s attention at the galas* is missing. This table's members are selected beforehand by the administration for congeniality of company but, more important, for uniform affluence,. It is a table where stakes are breathtakingly high, and often a banco of 5,000,- 000 francs ($145,000) depends upon the turn of a solitary card. Cau- tion is the watchword at the tables, even for such faithful gala atten- dees as Mr. and Mrs. Irving Netcher (Rosie Dolly). Their pres- ence inspired in one Monte Carlo resident memories of the early 20s, when the Dolly Sisters, then at the height of their fame, used to throw 10,000 francs on numbers with the same ease as the average tourist does with 100 francs. Long neglected by filmmakers as a location spot, the Riviera is now host to some three picture units. British producer Harry Reynolds brought Michael Redgrave and Anouk Aimee to Antibes for ex- (Continued on page 56) in Farley Granger put “soaking up European culture” ahead of an ex- ploitation tour for “Edge of Doom” last week, and Samuel Goldwyn promptly slapped a salary suspen- sion on him. Actor, after some heated argument with the pro- ducer, said he preferred to be off salary than to go on the road ahead of the pic, in which he stars. Granger flew to Paris last Thurs- day (3). He had returned to New York from there only 2 Vi Weeks previously under threats of sus- pension by Goldwyn. He did a flock of radio, tele and newspaper inter- views and other publicity chores during .his New York stay, which preceded the Broadway opening.' By JOSEF ISRAELS II Salzburg, Aug. 2. Salzburg's Music and Drama Festival, 30th to be held since 192Q when Max Reinhardt and a few friends hammered together an open air production of “Everyman” in the Cathedral Square, jumped off to sock biz, with a gala per- formance of Mozart’s ‘?Dori Giovan- ni.” Choice of the local boy’s opera for opener, plus a star-stud- ded cast including*Ljuba Welitsch from the Met.; Irmgard Seefried’ Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Italian Tito Gobbi in the title slot plus the controversial Wilhelm Fuert- wangler on the podium insured absolute sellout and critical raves. But backstage it Is not as har- monious . as town fathers would have it appear. Fuertwangler’s selection this year as top man of the Festspiele and shelving of Herbert von Kara- jan plus Fuerty’s handling of the unaccustomed Mozart chore is gen-/ erating plenty kaffee haus klatch- erei. Fuertwangler gave a slow, massive ; performance which com- pletely excised the traditional sparkle and speed of the opera. Known throughput rehearsals that the conductor and singers were in conflict with Welitsch and hassling repeatedly With the stick man. The Sofia redhead, used to having her Own way On opera stages from Vi- enna to Broadway, burned plenty when Fuertwangler cut her second act aria “because time wouldn’t allow.” She went into a high dudgeon and the situation was ad- justed only three hours before showtime. By then the speechmaking and salami sandwich eating had been disposed of in ceremonies at Resi- denz House where Austrian Chan- cellor Figl and U. S. High Com- missioner Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes” did oratorical honors. The street outside the Festspielhaus was solid with Salzburgers who could not afford tix. Ducat peddlers were getting $9 by show time or three times the regular price. Flood- lights, cameramen gave the locals a Hollywood-like impression. Dur- ing the opera, the whole town was flooded with radios tuned to the performance. Crowds gathered at every loudspeaker and car radio. That’s the kind of musical town this Is.. Schwarzkopf, Welitsch Score The honors went to Welitsch and Schwarzkopf. The performance was laborious but seemed to be loosening, up as the last scene be- gan. If Fuerty had another hour (Continued on page 55) 25C FOR 9 Guy Lombardo orch has been inked for a nine-day stand at the Toronto Exposition, starting Aug. 25, for a flat $25,000. Booking, handled by Music Corp. of. Amer- ica, is top coin for a booking of this type. Lombardo, incidentally, was born near the exposition site, in Lon- don, Ontario. M. H. (“Deke”) Aylesworth, one-time prez of both NBC and RKO- Radio and former publisher of the N. Y. World-Telegram, in an exclusive interview in Variety Oct. 27, 1945, when TV was still on its wartime experimental basis, gave out with such. Nostradamus- type items as: “Films are a natural for video and Hollywood pro- ducers will be buying time to telecast their trailers Into the home.” Gist of Aylesworth’s statement almost five years ago was that the film industry would be erring if it considered the then-diapered TV medium as a potential threat and tried to fight Instead of co- operate.* Noting that “radio not only. stimulated the movie biz but created stars for the cinematic marquees/* he predicted the same would hold true of TV. In addition, he pointed out that radio stars never killed the boxoffice but hypoed grosses to record-breaking results abd claimed video stars would, do the same. Other Aylesworth predictions iJt 1945: Set .manufacturers will underwrite broadcasting and then bow out wheri the medium goes bigtime; set circulation will hit 3,000,000 by 1947 and 10,000,000 .Actually, that’s the total estimated for the end of 1950); TV commercials will “assume exaggerated values of a news category,” similar to the. way ads in the Satevepost and other magazines are considered newsworthy. Aylesworth Wrapped up his predictions with this: “Before you know it, there will be 18 or 20 manufacturers bid- ding for the home-television dollar and large-screen sets Will be down in the $115 class, within reach of almost anybody. Having already spent millions for experimentation, TV will cash in faster than any recent scientific-art entertainment, such ; as . the talkies, radio and the like. More people are sold on TV now than they were on radio at its inceptionv. . » For once hers is a market with Which manufacturers may not be able to keep pace for decades.”